The founder, the players, the audience and the room

Your founder

'Songwriting is story-telling. Stories are important because they are how we understand ourselves.'

Who am I?
Hello, I'm Simon Hopper, the founder of SCE. I've been writing songs for 40 years. I'm fascinated by the art and the craft.

My musical references are predictable for someone born in the mid-1950s who likes a solo performer playing acoustic guitar, singing songs about their life and experience. Of course this includes Dylan, the daddy of them all, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, etc.

(You can find an insight to my musical hinterland here, and if you want to know more about me: blog, songs, videos, website.)

I recently arrived in east London wanting to create an event to give me regular involvement in music. The idea was to make an opportunity to meet and play with others. SCE is the result.

So let me tell you what's in this for you.


The room / the stage
You'll have a room with a great vibe and a sympathetic audience. I've bought new stands for my stage lights and ordered two banner backdrops for the stage. It'll look cool. I'm a fussy bugger when it comes to my performance spaces and I'll make sure this one is just right for the gig. The pics of you singing there will be great on your social media.

We're going to go acoustic to begin with. We'll be in a chapel, with lots of stone and wood in a room that seats max 45. It'll be a listening audience and we won't be competing with external noise so I think it'll work that way. With those acoustics and a quiet audience, it'll sound lovely.

If we find we need some reinforcement, we can use my Bose column PA and Sure SM58 mics. The PA is the mutt's nuts.


Fellow performers
You'll meet and perform with other skilled writer-players. It'll be a great learning experience as well as a brilliant celebration of our art and craft. Together, we'll build a community in which we can support and encourage each other as well as polish our artistic skills.

Younger writers will be able to tap into the nous of the more experienced. Those longer in the tooth will be able to keep in touch with what's current. As well as song-writing savvy, there'll be a wealth of knowledge about recording, self-publishing, gigging, touring, whatever.


Money
All the door-take (after expenses) will be shared amongst the performers. You won't get rich, but you'll know that the income generated by the gig will end up in your pockets.


The Audience
By definition, since the event is in a dedicated room for a singer-songwriter event, the audience will be a listening one. Your songs and your singing will be properly appreciated and respected.

I'll be relying on you to bring some followers with you and hopefully some of them will become regulars. Perhaps some of our performers will drop in when they're not playing themselves.


You
You're a rounded songwriter of some depth. You have something to offer in terms of your body of work and your grasp of technique. If you want to be part of SCE and will enjoy talking a little about your songwriting chops to an interested audience, tell me where I can see you play - because that's how I'm going to select our performers.

If you'd say you're a developing writer come to the club and introduce yourself to me. If you think you have something to offer, let's talk.


It's going to be fun and it's going to be interesting. It's going to be a quietly special songwriting happening. Get on board!

@SongClubEast